Towards Addressing Inequality and Irresponsibility in Indigenous Education in Nigeria; a Lesson from Soviet Russia's Education Policy

Abstract

Education is the bedrock of development economically, politically, socially and culturally. It is an eye opener via which skills are developed, guarded and utilised to better the advancement of the human socio-cultural settings. Over the years, there has been global yearning towards child education right. Although, this has been greatly addressed in the advanced polities, developing economies have faced setbacks in relation to education policy; its formation and implementation. This paper interrogates Soviet Russia's education policy; showcasing leadership relevance as actor and implication on education policy direction among developing African countries, especially Nigeria. Constructivism was adopted as the framework while the interpretive design was used. Data were sourced through primary and secondary sources. Archival materials, journal articles, books and internet materials were used. Data were subjected to content analysis. The study unraveled the significance of education policy in the Soviet Russia. Vladimir Lenin, the forerunner of the Bolshevik Revolution, saw the need for literacy amidst the vast populace of the newly formed Russia under the umbrella of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). To enhance overall impactful governance, policies were tailored towards making every Soviet citizen literate. Nigeria over time has embarked on various education policies. Importantly, efforts have been espoused towards making education a free possession of citizenry, particularly, every Nigerian child. As the Soviet Russia served a template for promotion of literacy amidst the divergent cultural heritages, a multicultural setting like Nigeria stands a good chance of addressing illiteracy, lending credence to the Soviet Russia education policy.